Snow Day
by Giada Luna
Summary: It's time for the Winter Festival in Konoha, so the Academy has a half-day. Bolt is anxious for a little fun (mischief), and is counting on Kiba's help to get it all started. What could be more fun, or maybe bittersweet than winter in Konoha blanketed in memories of snow? Cast: Entire Konoha gang and the New generation. (mostly) post 700 canon pairings. See profile for more.
1. Chapter 1: Fresh Powder

Kishimoto owns Naruto.

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><p><strong>*.*.*.*.*Snow Day*.*.*.*.*<br>*****.*.*Fresh Powder*.*.***

_*.*.*A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder. - Susan Orlean*.*.*_

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><p>The morning dawned bright and crisply clear on a Konoha dazzlingly blanketed in snow. The winter festival was coming, so the Academy let out early. The students were bundling up as they got ready to head home, when Bolt raced ahead of them.<p>

"We've got _ages_ before we are supposed to be home," he said, his eyes bright with mischief. "Who's up for some fun?"

A few groans went up, a few snickers, and one heavy sigh and a mutter of 'troublesome.'

"Give it a rest, Bolt," Shikadai sighed. "The Winter Festival is coming up, and it is a pain to get into trouble."

"Who said anything about trouble?" Bolt's grin was bright. "I'm thinking special meeting - Training ground 26."

"Meeting for what?" Chouchou asked, crossing her arms. "I gotta meet Anko-sensei."

"Snowball fight - Shinobi style," Bolt grinned wickedly. "Unless you think you can't handle it."

"Man, you _are_ Naruto's kid." The dry voice came from a figure leaning in the doorway.

"Uncle Kiba!" Bolt beamed. "What are you doing here?"

"Your dad is caught up in a meeting, and your mom is with Himawari who isn't feeling very well. She asked if I'd grab you on my way home." He nodded over to Shikadai. "Your dad is with the Hokage, too. I told your mom I could drop you off."

"But we don't want to go home yet!" Bolt protested. "C'mon, Uncle Kiba!"

Kiba held his hands up, turning his head as a familiar presence approached. He nodded to his team mate brightly. "What's up, Sensei?"

"Are you bothering my students?" Shino asked dryly.

"Just picking a few up. I'm surprised you are letting them out early," he confessed. "Great day for some tactical training."

"Training," Shino repeated flatly.

"Yeah," Kiba's wolfish grin spread. "_Training_."

Bolt watched his 'uncle' Kiba closely. He knew that smirk – that meant he had something planned and it was going to be AWESOME. He shot a look at Chouchou. She would be the linchpin in this; the other two on her team would go along with her, and so would Sarada. Not that he _cared_ if she tagged along or not, but it might be, y'know. 'Fun,' or something. Chouchou caught his eye and looked him up and down, appraisingly before looking back to Kiba.

"What kind of training," she asked, arms crossed.

"You mean your Sensei hasn't told you?" Kiba asked in mock surprise. "Well, I guess you guys just aren't ready for it yet. Bolt? Shikadai? Let's go."

Sarada frowned. "Ready for what?" she asked, that small crease between her eyebrows showing. Bortuo was hopeful. That was her "I'm going to figure this out," face. They had her attention.

There was a blur of green. "If there is training, we are ready! Lee Sensei says to never miss a chance to train!"

"I bet he does," Kiba said, keeping a straight face.

"Lee-Sensei!" the earnest boy called out as his teacher walked in the room. "Inuzuka-san says he has training for us"

Kiba's eyebrow lifted. "Inu-who-now?"

"Kiba!" Lee's expression was gleeful. "You have some training for our youthful spirits of Konoha? What is it?!"

Kiba caught Bolt's hopeful glance and Shino's grimace and officially couldn't help himself. "Sorry, Lee – I don't think this group is ready for it. Maybe next year."

"I am sure that whatever it is, this fine young group of budding Shinobi could handle it," Lee said encouragingly. "Ah! Let's ask these fine teachers. Tenten! What do you think?"

Tenten came up casually, wary of that look in Lee's eyes. She glanced at Anko who took a bite of her dango and shrugged. "About what, Lee?" she asked, fairly sure she wouldn't like the answer.

"Kiba has some training he thinks will help ignite these bright sparks of Konoha's will of fire! Lee pumped his fist into the air. "You must join us, Tenten!"

"Us?" Kiba asked, brow furrowed as Tenten asked "Training?"

Anko smirked.

"What are you up to, Inuzuka?" she asked, crossing her arms,

"That is what I want to know," Shino muttered. "Why you ask? Because-"

"What kind of training," Tenten asked, her eyes on Kiba.

"Herding cats?" Anko asked all too innocently. "Or do you not train in Sora-ku anymore?"

Kiba shot Anko a nasty look before turning back to Bolt. "Let's go," he said flatly.

"But what about the training?" Bolt grabbed the arm of his coat, his eyes bright.

"Yeah," Tenten's eyes roved over Kiba. "What about it?"

He tried to read her expression, and her eyebrows lifted in… what? Understanding? Boredom? Resignation? A challenge?

"Tactical training," Kiba said, keeping his eyes locked with hers as a slow grin spread across his face. "Training ground 26. Winter survival. Let's see if the new generation can capture the flag."

Tenten felt her heart catch in her throat as Lee's eyes grew wide, and even Shino stilled.

"The flag," Tenten breathed, her mind racing.

Kiba looked at her knowingly. "You still have it, don't you?"

Tenten nodded slowly.

Lee was positively brimming with excitement. "Yosh!" he shot a fist into the air. "But we have to tell everyone! Inojin?" he called to the pale blonde. "Can you send a message?"

"H-hai," he said uncertainly darting his eyes between the adults.

Kiba's devilish grin met Tenten's masked expression over the blonde's head. "This is going to be good."

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><p><em>It is after Thanksgiving, so we can officially move onto things that are winter and other-holiday themed! What could be more fun, or maybe bittersweet than winter in Konoha blanketed in memories of snow?<em>

_Reviews always appreciated, friends. _


	2. Chapter 2: Winter Friends

Kishimoto owns Naruto.

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><p><strong>*.*.*.*.*Snow Day*.*.*.*.*<br>*.*.*Winter Friends*.*.***

_*.*.*_My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.*.*.*  
>- George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows<p>

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><p>"I can't believe you talked me into this," Ino muttered for the fiftieth time.<p>

"Oh, come on, Ino," Chōji said good-naturedly. "It's for the kids!"

Ino crouched further behind the embankment of snow and toed Shikamaru with her boot. "And you," she hissed. "Genius strategist – you couldn't think of a way out of this?"

"Sorry, Ino," Shikamaru sighed. "Once Naruto got the note from Inoji this became an official order from the Hokage." He nodded to the open area beyond the wall of snow. "You should have seen Uchiha's face."

Ino smirked at that. "Now that I would've liked to have seen."

"Mom, are you sure this is okay?" Inoji asked, worried.

"All the parents are here," Shikadai sighed. "And the Hokage. And my dad. It must be fine."

ChōChō looked skeptically at her dad with arms crossed. "There's hot chocolate after this right?"

"Most definitely," her father assured her.

She narrowed her eyes, and challenged, "With marshmallows?"

"_And_ whipped cream," Chōji countered.

"Alright," she nodded her consent. "Then let's show them what's up, Papa," her grin eerily like her mother's. "Ino-Shika-Chō, style!"

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><p>"Alright, Teme," Naruto said in a low voice. "You can't screw this up, alright?" He looked past his teammate's withering look. "You alright, Lee?"<p>

"I'm ready to defend my team's former victory," Lee assured them.

"It's all about teamwork," Naruto assured everyone, turning in his crouched position to lean toward them. "We should-" in his excitement, he stepped on the corner of his Hokage coat and faltered, falling face first in the snow.

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered to himself.

"He isn't going to mess us up, is he?" Sarada tugged at her father's sleeve.

"He's the Hokage," Bolt glared at her. "There's no way he'd mess up."

"That's right," Lee's protégé pounded his gloved fist into his hand. "We have to have faith in our Hokage!"

"Exactly!" Lee enthused.

Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his neck as he sat up and brushed off the snow and Sasuke smothered a sigh. "Maybe you'd better do the strategy part," he said to Sasuke.

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><p>"You ready for this?" Anko asked Shino.<p>

Shino glanced over to the where Kurenai, Gai, and Kakashi were crouched in the snow. "Yes," he said simply.

Anko followed his gaze. "Called in the Sensei Squad, eh? Oh well, the more the merrier! I can't wait to see how Gai plays in a wheelchair."

Shino's face remained composed, and he did not give any indication that he too was vastly curious about what Gai would do. Mirai stood and said something to her mother before listening to something Kakashi was telling her

"Wow, Mirai is growing up, isn't she" Anko said, watching the young kunoichi. "I can hardly believe she's already doing missions."

"She is a fast learner," Shino said with an unmistakable undertone of pride in his voice. "She excelled at the academy. We," he glanced to where his friends were stationed. "Team 8 and Team 10 – we expect great things from her.

Anko was shocked that Shino had said anything much less something so not Shino-like about Kurenai's daughter. Then again, after the death of Asuma, both Team 8 and 10 were extremely devoted to Kurenai, and Mirai had an elite team of babysitters. Anko pitied the first boy that even thought about looking at Mirai. It would be a race to see who got to him first.

Shino's voice snapped her out of her musing. "I'm finished here. Alert Kiba and Tenten," he said tonelessly. "We will fire the warning flare as soon as they are set."

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><p>"How are those traps coming?" The voice echoed in her earpiece.<p>

"Good," she said, putting on the finishing touches. "You ready?"

"Absolutely!" Anko chirped. "So is Shino. They'll start on our signal."

"Got it," Tenten answered, and returned to her work. The Ino-Shika-Cho team was in place. Since Hinata and Sakura couldn't be here and to keep the numbers even, Lee and his student joined up with Sasuke, Naruto, Sarada, and Bolt. Kiba, Tenten, Shino, and Anko were moderating as well as providing obstacles for the two teams. The Sensei team had been dragged out to play, and Kurenai's daughter Mirai was filling in for Asuma, although she probably didn't realize, exactly.

"They about ready for us?"

She turned to see Kiba with several of the ninken. "Where's Akamaru?" she asked.

"It's a bit cold for him today," Kiba shrugged. "I have some of the younger pups out instead."

"Poor Akamaru," she said, reaching down to scratch the ear of the large white dog that had to be related to Kiba's first teammate.

Kiba watched her carefully. "Winter is hard on him," he said. "Old wounds always hurt more in the cold."

Tenten flicked a glance up at him then back to her work. "One more tripwire and I'm set here - you?"

"Borders all marked. Dogs got all of the scents of the players. Did you get the flag set?"

"It's done," she nodded. "I'm good to go. Tell Shino he can go ahead."

"Kinda weird, isn't it?" He asked as she checked the wire.

"What is?" she asked, only half paying attention.

"To be the adults this time. To be on this side of things." He shrugged. "Weird."

"Don't worry about it too much," Tenten stood and brushed the snow off of herself. "No one expects _you_ to actually act like an adult."

"Well _that's_ a relief," he laughed. "I'm heading to my quadrant. Radio if you need me."

"Got it," she responded. "Wait!" she shot her hand out and grabbed his arm. He looked down at her with raised eyebrows.

"Kakashi uses Ninken, too," she grumbled. "I masked the scent of the traps. You almost walked into one."

Sure enough, there was a wire on the ground below him.

"Nice," he flashed her a grin. "Glad you're on our side."

"Here," she handed him a small vial. "This is what I used. I put in a small trace of a specific plant variety that can't be identified in the quantities used on the traps. If you and the dogs get the concentrated scent, you know which diffused one to watch out for."

Kiba unscrewed the vial and took a deep inhale. "Got it," he nodded, holding it down for the dogs. He looked over to her. "It's pine, but it's not," he said. "Real subtle difference – it would've taken me a lot of time to pick it out and identify it with the traps."

"That's the idea," she took the vial back and put it away.

"I know that scent," Kiba scratched his chin.

"It's from some of the trees from a different area in Konoha," she said distantly. Her eyes flicked to the side, and her hand went to her ear. "That was Anko again," she said. "Better get into place."

"Alright – thanks for the heads up," he waved as he walked away. She gave a quick bob of her head in response, because she was busy adding an explosive tag to a trap.

As Kiba and his ninken raced to the other side of the battle ground, he was still mulling over that scent.

The realization came from nowhere, complete with a memory he'd all but forgotten.

_"These are for your families," Hinata had said in her quiet voice as she handed the wreaths to Kiba and Shino. Winter wreaths were an old Konoha tradition that the Hyūga's maintained. Wreaths were given to friends and comrades, symbolizing the evergreen nature of the bond between the villagers, even in the dead of the winter cold. The Hyūga's were known for making an intricate version of the wreath, and Kiba saw Hinata's hand in the delicate weaving of the boughs, and the inclusion of holly and some red berries._

_"These smell great," he had remarked, but furrowed his brow, perplexed. "These don't smell like normal pine. What is different about them?"_

_Hinata smiled. "Those are made from a special grove of trees maintained by my family. My mother called them Sweet Pines, but I don't think they actually have a special name."_

Sweet. That was it. That pine had a certain and very specific sweetness to the dry, crisp smell of pine – as if some of the sunshine had been captured and stored in the very sap of the branches.

Kiba took his place, concealed on an outcropping of rock, and connected a few more dots. Hinata always smelled like the flowers she tended, and often like lilac or jasmine. Neji meditated in the pine grove. Neji always had a hint of that scent about him.

He shook his head, not really surprised that Tenten was keeping Neji's memory in her own unique and subtle way, even after all these years.

"She keeps finding ways to keep you around," he said conversationally, making sure his radio was muted. "You know that, don't you?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the rockface, watching a bird soar high above before adding, "Helluva teammate, Hyūga."

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><p>Karui surveyed the battlefield preparations. "Just looks like a glorified snowball fight to me," she muttered.<p>

"A what kind of fight?" Temari asked. "And where are Sakura and Hinata?"

"Hinata is with Himawari who isn't feeling well. Sakura went to their home to check on her. That is why they re-divided the teams."

She shivered. "I understand the rest of these fools," Temari wrapped her arms around herself and burrowed deeper into her scarf and heavy travelling cloak over her coat. "But explain to me how we got stuck out here?"

"Beats me," Karui shrugged. "What is this all about, anyway? And why aren't you out there?" she asked Sai.

Sai held up a finger. "This is a reenactment of a battle between teams 7, 8, 10, and Gai. Apparently it was a training exercise devised by the Jōnin leaders. The teams engage in snow-based melee combat and try to capture a flag that has been hidden. The team that captures the flag wins."

Karui looked around. "Where is Team Eight?"

"Without Hinata here, Team Eight is incomplete, and there are no children. Shino, Kiba, Anko, and Tenten are going to both moderate and provide opposition to all of the teams to make it more difficult."

"Why aren't you in on this?" Karui asked.

"I was not part of any of the teams at the time," Sai shrugged.

"Sasuke wasn't here then either, was he?" Karui pressed. "I thought this whole thing started after he left."

"It did," Sai looked to the teams preparing. "With Hinata and Sakura out of the equation, the teams were scrambled. Since Sarada is playing though, Sasuke is as well."

Karui eyed the battle field. "The numbers don't work. Who is he filling in for?"

Sai glanced at Temari, before answering in his neutral tone: "Hyūga Neji."

"I don't see any flag," Karui continued looking over the snow. "I see the little embankments they are hiding behind, but I don't see anything else."

"Once they are given the signal, the teams shall disperse into the wooded area of the training ground," Sai explained. "Training Ground 26 is quite extensive. They will have to locate, capture, and transport the flag and then get it back to their respective forts." He frowned. "I hope they don't actually expect those embankments to be of any tactical or defensive use."

Temari held up her hands. "Wait, wait, wait," she waved them. "If they are going to be flying off into the woods and out of sight, then what the hell are we doing here?!"

"Providing moral support!" Sai grinned cheerfully.

"For how long," she gritted her teeth.

"This exercise has a time limit," Sai offered. "It can't exceed three hours."

Temari's eyes bugged out.

"THREE HOU-" she bit off her surprise with a curse Sai assumed must be native to Suna, because neither he nor Karui understood it, but he surmised it translated roughly to 'are you fucking kidding me?'

"NARA!" she yelled over the embankment. "Get your lazy a-!"

"Excuse me, Nara-sama," she was interrupted by Yamato. "But we had to finish an ANBU meeting, or I would have been here sooner. Allow me."

She stepped back and watched as the man called forth a wooden dwelling from the earth, complete with chimney and several other chunin came forward. Izumo and Kotetsu were excited to get to witness this fight, and ducked into the structure with arms laden with blankets and provisions.

"We miss anything?"

"It's a regular party," Temari said sarcastically, but it was with a smile. For whatever reason she'd grown to like Konohamaru.

"Where are Udon and Moegi?" Sai asked, looking behind him.

"Doing all of the work Naruto is skipping out on," he smirked. "At least he left behind a shadow clone or two to help out this time," he added.

"So how'd you get stuck with him, Hanabi?" Temari jerked her head to the Sarutobi-brat-that-once-was-stupid-enough-to-challenge-her-turned-Jonin-instructor.

"Hinata asked me to come in her place and cheer on Bolt," the Hyūga smiled.

"Is Himawari okay?"

If Hanabi was surprised that Karui was the one asking this question, she masked it well. "Better," Hanabi nodded. "Sakura says she will be fine later, but Hinata wants her to rest before the festival tomorrow.

Karui (who wouldn't admit that like most of Konoha, she had a soft spot for the sweet little Uzumaki girl) nodded. "Good call. Tonight is just the lantern lighting, isn't it? Fireworks and things aren't until tomorrow."

"Yeah," Hanabi nodded. "Sakura said she can go to the lighting if she stays bundled up and gets rest tonight and tomorrow."

Konohamaru was waving his arm wildly, and the women stopped to stare at him.

"…What?" he turned and asked, completely unphased by their stares. "Never seen anyone wave to their little cousin before?"

Sure enough, they could see the distant movement of a gloved hand before it disappeared behind the embankment of snow.

Karui looked confused. "Who is Mirai with?

"The sensei's decided to join in." Konohamaru grinned. "Gai, Kakashi, Aunt Kurenai, and Mirai."

"Is that even fair," Temari quirked an eyebrow.

"Gai is in a wheelchair," Konohamaru offered.

"….And?"

Konohamaru grinned. "Yeah, I got nothing."

"I'm done freezing," Temari announced abruptly. "I'm going inside."

Others shrugged and followed after her.

"So how will we see what is going on?" Karui asked, pointing back to the battle field. "They'll be out of sight most of the time, won't they?"

Izumo and Kotetsu unsealed a set of monitors, which completed the makeshift reconaissance set-up they had going on complete with tabls and chairs. . "There are cameras in the training ground," Izumo explained. "We can watch from here."

"Too bad there isn't a fire," Temari sighed.

Yamato made a few quick handseals, and the earthen hearth was suddenly home to a crackling, cheerful fire.

"I might love you, Yamato," Temari said frankly, holding her hands out to the blaze.

The monitors showed a flare shooting up into the air and bursting into a shower of red sparks.

"Five minute warning," Yamato nodded.

"Only three hours, four minutes, and fifty-six seconds to go!" Sai announced with his signature fake grin.

Temari smothered a sigh and reminded herself that she was at least warm. When Hanabi pressed a thermos into her hands, and revealed the basket that Hinata had sent, she could have kissed the girl and resigned herself to getting through the experience. When Konohamaru knowingly slipped her a thin flask with a wink, she grinned. She might actually enjoy this.

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><p><em>If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you the Merriest and Brightest yet. If you do not, I still wish you a wonderful, wonderful close to 2014. Here's to a happy, healthy, prosperous, 2015!<em>

_All my love, friends - Giada_


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